The Peacemaker

Brenda Duffey

“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.” — Matthew 5:9

In 1753 a Mohawk woman named Morning Dove prepares to become clan mother of the Bear Clan. There is disharmony in the land threatening the Great Peace established by the Onondaga chief called The Peacemaker in the 11th Century. The rumblings along the 240 mile stretch of the Mohawk Trail are creating cracks in the once solid structure known as the Iroquois Confederacy.

Adding to Morning Doveís concern is the behavior of her twin brother Soaring Eagle who has already lost his place on the council of chiefs. Soaring Eagle has started hunting beaver again to trade for white manís firewater and guns. Fighting has erupted among the tribes as conflict over hunting rights is settled with guns instead of taking the dispute to the annual council. In addition, Soaring Eagle has joined in raids of the white manís settlements and has recently kidnapped a woman named Jane. Jane is beautiful, with red hair and opaque skin and is carrying Soaring Eagleís child.

After Morning Doveís marriage to White Stag, the rumblings turn into a roar of gunfire and violence and the peaceful Confederacy is shattered. A new government rises upon the broken pieces Ė the United States. Follow over ten generations of descendants as the descendants struggle to restore the vision of the Peacemaker and end the continuing cycles of war and oppression. For those who enjoy history, there is a wealth of information. The Peacemaker is more than history; however, it is the story of an American family that loses its connection to the values that had made them strong and the efforts to restore those values. As the tragic events of September 11, 2001 unfold at the end of the story, two people learn that the key to restoring peace is to learn to forgive.